One of the few western companies to use traditional Chinese lacquer, Caran d'Ache combine Swiss precision engineering with the ancient art of the Chinese masters in the Varius Chinablack.

Chinese lacquer was first used in China around 1600BC and the techniques have been developed over the millennia to the current art form. The lacquer is is a natural product, derived from the resin of a tree indigenous to China, species Toxicodendron vernicifluum, or Tsi-Chéou tree. The complex and time-consuming art of preparing and applying the lacquer results in an outstanding finish. As well as being very resistant to acid, alkali and water, Chinese lacquer is also very hard. This hard surface resists abrasion and marking, thereby ensuring that the Chinablack series will retain its beautiful appearance.

The deep black lacquer is combined with either gold plated or silver plated and rhodium coated metal parts to produce these elegant and striking writing instruments.

The comfortable hexagonal barrel of the Varius Chinablack is available as a ballpoint pen, rollerball pen mechanical pencil and as a fountain pen, with the fountain pen available in a full range of six different nib options.

As with all of the Varius range, the Chinablack comes with the Caran d'Ache international lifetime warranty.